1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a knowledge information managing method, a knowledge information managing apparatus, a storage medium storing a knowledge information managing program therein, and a knowledge information managing program, all being used for collecting and opening knowledge information in a network such as the Internet.
2. Description of the Related Art
As the Internet becomes popular, distribution of knowledge information can be performed extremely easily. As means for the distribution of knowledge information, for example, means for creating a Web site and for retrieving the Web site, a bulletin board system (BBS), means for mailing a plurality of persons registered in advance at the same time (mailing list), and the like are generally used. For example, if a person wants to acquire the knowledge information which the person wants to know, the person can acquire the target information by performing, for example, keyword retrieving by means of a search engine of the Internet. Moreover, if a person has some information which the person wants to introduce to other people, the person can transmit the information via the Internet by making a Web site of the person himself or herself.
Moreover, if a person wants to deliver the same information to all of the members belonging to a certain group, the person can deliver the same information to a plurality of people at a time using the system of a mailing list. Furthermore, if a person submits a theme (generates a thread) as to a thing which the person cannot know, in a bulletin board system (BBS), the person may acquire useful information from writings by a plurality of people.
Now, an Internet browser software is used for browsing the data opened, that is, made public, in the Internet. The browser has a bookmark function, which makes it possible to record a uniform resource locator (URL) of a Web site opening the information which a user thinks usable to the public or the like.
For example, if “otitis media” is retrieved using a search engine, several thousands of pieces of information are provided. Consequently, there is a problem such that a user has to browse the thousands of Web sites one by one for acquiring a usable piece of information and it requires much time. Moreover, among the pieces of information provided in the Web sites hit by the retrieval, sometimes there are conflicting pieces of information, which make the user confuse with regard to which to believe.
Besides, when the user originates a piece of information, the user has to follow the steps of making data in conformity with, for example, the hypertext markup language (HTML) format or the like and registering the data on a Internet server. Furthermore, when the user updates the originated information, the user has to follow the steps of rewriting the data by the HTML format and registering the updated data in the Internet server. Thus, the conventional system also has a problem of the required time also at the time of originating information.
Moreover, in a case of the bulletin board system, when a plurality of responses are obtained, there is a problem of time required for finding out a useful piece of information among the responses even if the useful information is included in the thread, in other word, the response writings concerning a target subject. Furthermore, meaningless notes aiming intrusion of the bulletin board are frequently made. Besides, in the so-called mailing list system, the information unnecessary for a recipient is also sent indiscriminately, and consequently originally necessary information is frequently hidden.
Furthermore, in a case where so many bookmarks are registered, it becomes difficult to find what kind of information the registered Web sites provide when a user tries to obtain a useful piece of information by using the bookmark function of a browser, and consequently the registrations of the Web sites as the bookmarks becomes meaningless. Moreover, there is a further problem such that, when a Web site to which a bookmark is marked is updated, a user has no means for acquiring the updated information except for accessing the Web site again.
On the other hand, there are few means for evaluating the contribution of the person who supplied a useful piece of information on a network such as the Internet or the like, and such a network system is wholly supported by gratuitous information providing actions. Moreover, there are special kinds of information desired to be accompanied by introductions of related articles or services. In such cases, it is preferable to attach advertisements to the information, but no standard method for the attachment is established.
Furthermore, there is the specific information the value of which is heightened by the attachment of another piece of information, but no standard means for connecting the attachment information with the original information is established. Even if knowledge information has been updated under some circumstance, it is difficult for a recipient of the knowledge information to know suitably and rapidly.